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For families and kids living with an autism spectrum disorder, things can get a little overwhelming. What can I go to with my child? Where are the resources in my community? How have others handled this? I don’t have the answers to all of those questions, but here at the Library, we do have some resources for you. Here are just a few selections that are available from Kitsap Regional Library for parents, kids and teens:

Act. This is the word that has echoed in my mind all summer. In June, I was attending a vigil to honor the victims of the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando and this word was repeated throughout one of the speeches by a local activist. She emphasized that it is not enough to simply attend a vigil or feel badly about what is happening. Instead, one must act and find the thing that is most important to her or him. I have associated the devastating event in Florida as the beginning of what has been a summer of tragic events both globally and locally.

Today's blog post is brought to you by special guest blogger Lia Johansen, BiblioTEC Intern at the Bainbridge Island Library.

Summer is the perfect time for kids to play with LEGOS. Not only are LEGOS fun to play with, they also strengthen creative and problem solving skills. Kids can build fancy dream castles to fast sports cars; there are endless numbers of LEGO creations.

Summer is a time of sun and fun. With so many of us looking for ways to stay active and engaged in Kitsap County, I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of the almost endless parks and hiking trails that our amazing county has to offer. Whether you’re in South, Central or North Kitsap, there are city, county and state parks offering all kinds of activities.

Kitsap County is a military county. It was difficult to miss this fact when I recently moved to this area from out of state. While doing storytimes with young families, I was immediately struck by how many dads and moms were serving our country, both overseas and locally. It got me thinking about how difficult it must be for a child when one of their grownups is away for six months or more. While the spouses I run into are tough and matter-of-fact about the situation - I know it must be difficult for them.

Neil Young may not have been the best guitar player in super group Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (that would be Stephen Stills) or the best singer (that would be David Crosby), but he was one of their best songwriters and has the solo success to prove it.

As a children’s librarian, I have the extreme joy of watching kids get excited and genuinely interested in learning about a wide variety of subjects. Their thirst for knowledge is ever growing, and it’s a wonderful feeling to be able to connect them with experiences to satiate their curiosities. One subject that never seems to fail in piquing the interest of inquiring minds is reptiles. There is just something about these (mostly) cold-blooded tetrapods that continues to fascinate people. While reptiles might not be for everyone, they are definitely a huge crowd pleaser for many.

There will be barbecues, parades, and lots of fireworks this weekend. If you're looking for stories of awesome Americans, every July 4th the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York honors Great Immigrants. This year 42 amazing Americans were honored with this award. These judges, educators, journalists, and more are truly inspiring citizens. To hear some of their stories, you can follow the #greatimmigrants hashtag on Twitter and Facebook.

A map is a drawing that tells you about a place. It shows a view from above, like the view you get looking down from an airplane or a satellite. A map also shows the view from below if it is a star map.

“Map” comes from the Latin word “mappa,” meaning napkin or cloth, on which medieval maps were drawn. However, maps have been made from many types of materials throughout history, including clay, stone, ivory, sticks and footprints!

Long before the Boys in the Boat picked up a paddle for the Olympics, local Tribes and First Nations were daily pulling canoes of their own. Now, this legacy has become an annual summer tradition known as the Canoe Journey.

What happened at the Pulse Club in Orlando on June 12 was a tragedy. 49 people were killed, and 53 more were injured. There are not words to express the horror of this event. But words seem to be called for, and words are definitely being used. As soon as this news was released, conversations started on social media, in homes, in coffee shops. There is hurt. There is pain. There is anger. There is misunderstanding.

I often feel helpless in the face of tragedy. I worry about what my response should be. Do I have a duty to respond publicly? Do I even have a right?

At a very special meetinglast Wednesday night, the Sylvan Way Teen Advisory Board discussed their feelings about the tragedy in Orlando. The teens responded with empathy and thoughtfulness, and noted that it does not matter how far away, we are all connected. I listened to their comments and each person had a chance to reflect. When one community is in pain, all communities feel that pain. The teen group had an open dialog and many different viewpoints were shared with respect for all perspectives.

The below blog post was written by Cole, a BiblioTEC Intern at our Poulsbo location. BiblioTEC internships are supported by a grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services and provide teens and young adults (ages 16-25) with the opportunity to gain real world job experience while developing 21st century skills. They also help to make the Library's youth STEM programs more awesome.

This week we are so excited to welcome Conservation Director, Jonathan Decker, and Development Coordinator, Mary Zabinski, from the Great Peninsula Conservancy to Books to Action, a book group that combines reading and community discussion.

I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted just thinking about final exams, end of year projects and making sure everyone has signed my yearbook (yes, I was THAT kid). With schools getting out in the next week or two, we have been planning a big party for our teens (grades 7-12).

Summer is almost here and hopefully that means a slower pace for most of us. It is a great time to vacation, read, socialize and expand ones horizons. Here at the library, our amazing Summer Learning program is in full swing and we want you to read and learn new things! Our program is for everyone: kids, teens and adults.

When I was growing up we had an old Ford station wagon that my mother would fill with kids in the summertime and drive to Biscay Pond for swimming lessons. The car had an 8 track player and we had three tapes, Glen Campbell - Gentle on My Mind, Paul McCartney - McCartney I (Cherries) and Herb Alpert – Fresh Cream, and an AM radio. Between the 8 tracks and the Top 40 sounds from WRKO in Boston we had music.

Summer vacation is drawing near and many families are planning and preparing for road trips. Whether you are ranging near or far this vacation season, here are a few books stock the car. No matter where you are headed, the library is also well-stocked with travel guides to the United States and beyond.

Today is a special holiday that honors all the brave men and women who have served and died in our country’s armed forces, past and present. It’s a day that many families celebrate by attending parades, gathering for picnics, going on trips, or hanging the flag in front of their house. Remembering.

I have always found it fascinating to learn about children’s picture books authored by celebrities. More often than not, these books are interesting to read, because they are a product of the personalities we know and love from TV, music, politics, and sport. I always read them when I find them on the shelves, and tuck the titles into the back of my head. The knowledge of them often comes up at some later point, when I can say something like, “Hey, speaking of John Travolta…did you know he wrote a picture book for kids!”

These days it feels like everyone is under a time crunch! School projects to finish, events to attend, and enough demands in your day to feel like you’re running out of time. At times like this, it can be difficult to fit the library in, even if you want to. So, here are three ways you can make your library visit a speedy (and fun!) part of your day.

On June 12th the annual Tony Awards will be presented, and this year, there may be extra attention to the results, due to a little juggernaut called "Hamilton." The Broadway smash has taken the critics and public by storm and looks to continue to do so for the near future.

This summer will be loaded with fun STEM programming and activities at each of the Kitsap Regional Library branches. STEM topics and careers are such an important part of our future. Kitsap County is full of amazing and resourceful STEM professionals. In this blog, we asked some questions to local scientist Karen Hecht, about her career in STEM.

No one is making me write about our Community Conversations this month, but I have to tell you, I was totally surprised and impressed with the dynamic and heartfelt experience we had last week holding a Community Conversation with our own Poulsbo library staff. I was so moved by the authenticity of the things that were expressed there, as staff “took off their work hats” and spoke from the heart, as people who live here and care deeply about their neighbors, their town, their farm.

Books, books, books; I can never get enough books! That being said, even though I have the amazing opportunity of sharing the stories I love with people every day, there are only so many library books I can have checked out for personal reading before I start feeling guilty. This is why it’s doubly important for me that I keep up on my personal library to ensure there is always a good book within reach.

Honestly, it can be difficult for me to think of a topic to blog about every month. I cannot imagine how professional bloggers do it everyday or even several times a week. So, on a hunt for something even remotely interesting to share, I went out to the desk to pay my fines <blush> and stumbled upon a pile of holds. There were three wonderful titles that I had been waiting for, so I thought I would share them with you here.

Greetings from the new Kingston library! We are reveling in all the additional space, seating, and of course, books! If you have been able to visit, you know just how fabulous it is. If you haven’t yet had a chance to come see it, do come visit us sometime, especially if you have kids that love jellyfish and naming things…

As anyone who has ever moved knows, it takes some time to fully settle in and get all the little details nailed down. One detail to decide is a name for the artwork that hangs in the kid’s area: